5 Things You Might Not Know About Jimi Manuwa

Jimi
Manuwa will have designs on entertaining his hometown crowd
when he goes toe-to-toe with Jan
Blachowicz in the
UFC Fight Night 127 co-main event on Saturday at the O2 Arena
in London. There, he can make it 2-0 in his head-to-head series
against Blachowicz, having beaten the former
KSW champion in their first encounter three years ago. Should
Manuwa defeat the Pole again and do so in dominating fashion, he
could find himself on the verge of a title shot in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division.

As Manuwa prepares for his rematch with Blachowicz, here are five
things you might not know about him:

1. Life outside the Octagon keeps him on his
toes.

Manuwa has admitted that business interests occupy his time outside
of competition. Among his ventures is the Lion’s Pride Gym, which
has been called a mecca for young fighters who wish to follow in
his footsteps. “Poster Boy” also has his hands in a supercar hire
company and Warrior Energy, a nutritional company.

2. He had a run-in with the law prior to his entry into
mixed martial arts.

After relocating to London from Nigeria at the age of 10, Manuwa
found it difficult to assimilate and turned to crime and violence.
He was banned from various clubs around London, and in 2002, he was
charged with “conspiracy to burgle” after authorities determined he
was involved in “stealing high-value items like computers” and
“robbing commercial properties.” Manuwa spent a year in jail. He
admits he “hated every minute” behind bars but credited his
incarceration for forcing him to make smarter choices.

3. A weightlifting injury led to his career in
MMA.

Manuwa was an avid weightlifter prior to his 2008 debut in mixed
martial arts. After tearing his pectoral muscle, he tried jiu-jitsu
and then ventured into kickboxing under the Keddle’s Gym banner.
There, he found an outlet through which to vent about his childhood
experiences and fed his fascination with MMA while watching the
UFC. Manuwa later became the crown jewel of the Ultimate Challenge
MMA organization, capturing its light heavyweight championship in
just his fifth professional appearance. He went on to defend the
title five times before signing with the British Association of
Mixed Martial Arts.

4. He turned down early offers from the
UFC.

While emerging as a prospect on the regional scene in the United
Kingdom, Manuwa raised eyebrows by turning down initial offers from
the Ultimate Fighting Championship. When he was first approached by
the promotion, he indicated that “it wasn’t the right time to
accept” a contract but reiterated that it was his “ultimate goal”
to join the UFC in the future. Manuwa was later offered a spot at
UFC 138 and a chance to fight in Birmingham, England, on Nov. 5,
2011. He again declined the UFC’s overtures, citing the fact that
he had not fought in more than a year and would have to jump in the
Octagon after a long layoff, “which is not ideal in any
circumstances.”

5. His resume highlights his strengths.

Manuwa’s 17-3 record includes 15 wins by knockout or technical
knockout and 11 first-round finishes. He earned “Performance of the
Night” awards against Ovince St.
Preux at UFC 204 and Corey
Anderson at UFC Fight Night 107. Manuwa delivered his lone
submission victory in February 2009, when he submitted Jamie Hearn
with a guillotine choke at an Ultimate Challenge MMA event. “Poster
Boy” has gone the distance only once in 20 pro bouts, taking a
unanimous decision from Blachowicz at UFC Fight Night 64.